Kingdom's Bloodline, page 170
"I see." Thales nodded in embarrassment. 'No wonder Olsius… that man with the full beard detested me on sight. Looks like our feud has indeed "lasted for generations".'
"True. I reckon that my father's death one year after that was also partly thanks to Midier." King Nuven smiled.
Thales felt awkward and did not reply.
The old king tightened his robe again. His gaze was incomprehensible. "Did you know that in the past, I would have detested strange, supposed genii like you, especially since you are the first-in-line, no, the only one in line for the throne of Constellation."
Thales furrowed his brow slightly. King Nuven's gaze made him a little uneasy.
"Midier's death was such a pity… I have always wondered what sort of king he would have been." King Nuven sighed and turned to stare at Thales. "However, it is still possible for you, and that possibility is quite large.
"I believe that the moment you are crowned, Constellation will be reborn." King Nuven's gaze then turned fierce. "Eckstedt will have to meet a fearsome opponent."
Thales had just become relaxed when his anxiety flared once more. He shuddered violently.
'It can't be… What is this? What is this man trying to do?'
He could not really gauge King Nuven's intentions. While he endured King Nuven's gaze, Thales tried his best to regulate his increasingly rapid breathing.
King Nuven suddenly emitted a strange laugh.
He spoke flatly, his tone filled with the kind of authority exclusive to kings. "You don't have to be so anxious. I am not a man-eating beast."
Thales suppressed the desire to object and forced a smile. He glanced at the center of the hall through the corner of his eyes—that was where Poffret's neck was twisted earlier.
King Nuven noticed Thales' gaze and could not help but burst out laughing.
"As an heir to the throne, you must see blood sooner or later." The king took a swig of wine. His gaze was sharp. "This will be helpful for you."
Thales frowned. 'See blood...'
Thales recalled Quide's gaze before he died, and how it felt when his dagger pierced through blood and flesh. He also recalled the young psionic assassin who could produce a shrill magical sound, and his wet, warm, pulsating… heart.
Thales felt a surge of discomfort which he then forcefully suppressed.
King Nuven put his wine goblet down and asked slowly, "Do you have any thoughts on the duel just now?"
"It was memorable." The anxious Thales replied honestly. "Especially how an aging veteran had managed to take down a young and strong rookie."
King Nuven gave a snort of laughter.
Thales chose his words carefully. "And the Northland's heroic custom when it comes to duels was also an eye-opener for me. Of course, there is also your courage to step forth firmly into the arena despite being the ruler of a kingdom."
"Hmph. When I launched the duel, I saw your expression." King Nuven stared at Thales with a profound gaze. "You disapproved of it very much, didn't you?"
Thales was a little stunned. King Nuven continued staring at him intently.
"Alright," Thales said with embarrassment as he took a deep breath, "You know, considering your age—since this concerns such a large kingdom—what if there was a mishap?"
A few seconds later.
Under Thales' nervous gaze, King Nuven suddenly said something that was completely irrelevant. "You know, the relationship and ties between the Walton Family and the Jadestar Family began a long time ago."
Thales was confused.
King Nuven slowly extended his right hand and flashed the black ring on his little finger. "Do you know what this is?"
Thales furrowed his brow, then shook his head honestly.
"This is 'Triumph'." King Nuven smiled mysteriously. "It is also one of the items that symbolize the birth of these two great families."
Thales was involuntarily stupefied. 'Triumph?'
He watched as King Nuven took off the ring and turned it over for him to see its inner side. Thales squinted, a pattern was engraved on the inner ring where King Nuven was pointed at. It looked like… a winged horse?
"This is the Emblem of the Pegasus," King Nuven said flatly, "It has been the emblem of the Karlose Imperial Family ever since the Great Emperor Camelot established the Empire."
Thales was momentarily surprised. 'The Pegasus... Imperial Family? Karlose?'
"Over six hundred years ago, when Eckstedt and Constellation were first established, due to King Tormund's brutal tactics on the remaining nobles of the Ancient Empire when expanding the territory his kingdom, a conflict erupted between Eckstedt and Constellation for the first time." King Nuven's tone was profound and distant.
Thales recalled something. 'Tormund's brutal tactics…'
"Raikaru and Tormund; the King of Dragon Knights and the King of Renaissance; a Northlander and a Citizen of the Empire, led their elite soldiers—who had survived the Battle of Eradication—and met at the periphery of Cold Castle.
"In the end, the late kings both took a step back. They concluded and signed the very first contract made between these two kingdoms and agreed that they will rule the north and the south respectively without hindering each other's expansion plans.
"That was the first time Eckstedt and Constellation came into contact." King Nuven exhaled a breath.
Thales narrowed his eyes. He recalled what he saw and heard in the library last evening.
'King Nuven was probably talking about the contract that had Tormund and Raikaru's signatures on it. If I'm not mistaken…"Year Eleven, Calendar of Eradication: Raikaru and Tormund, Eckstedt-Constellation Border Treaty". That should be the one.'
"What the history books did not record was that the two late kings exchanged a family heirloom in private as a pledge of their alliance." King Nuven put on the ring again. "This ring is the heirloom that King Tormund gave to King Raikaru."
King Nuven sucked in a breath and said to Thales, "Raikaru then passed it to his nephew in the Walton Family. The ring had always belonged to all the former Archduke Waltons as a symbol of their archdukedom and was passed down from generation to generation.
"None of the outsiders know about its origin and history, just like how it did not use to have a name. However, all the former archdukes called it 'Triumph'." The king's tone was a little airy, and there was a faraway look in his eyes.
'Triumph.' Thales creased his brow slightly.
"It's a good name," he said carefully, "it sounds uplifting and inspiring."
"Uplifting and inspiring?" King Nuven could not help but laugh. King Nuven stroked his finger over Triumph as he said with a sharp gaze, "Like I said, it used to be the family heirloom of the King of Renaissance, Tormond. It originated from the Final Empire's first emperor who is also one of your ancestors...
"Kessel Karlose the Sixth."
Thales' gaze flickered. 'Kessel? An… emperor with the same name as my father?'
King Nuven raised his eyes. "Once belonging to the famed Emperor Kessel the Sixth, the ring was eventually handed down to King Tormond. Tormond then gave it to Raikaru as a proof to their alliance.
"Kessel the Sixth's reputation wasn't very good. His life was neither long nor short, but tempestuous. During his time, countless opponents had fallen under his conspiracy and manipulation." King Nuven inhaled a breath, his tone was solemn.
"His greatest feat was relaunching the Karlose Imperial Family's prestige amid the chaos that followed the collapse of the Ancient Empire. He recaptured the Capital of Triumph from the hands of rebel armies and vassals. That was how the Final Empire—which lasted three hundred years—was established."
Thales nodded. 'The emperor who recaptured the Capital of Triumph. The founder of the Final Empire. I see, that's why it's called "Triumph".'
"Do you know what that emperor's nickname is?" King Nuven suddenly raised his head and looked at Thales with a pondering gaze.
Thales froze a little, then shook his head. King Nuven's expression as he stared at Thales became more and more indecipherable and made the later extremely anxious.
"This tiny ring has many uses." King Nuven sighed and rotated the ring slowly.
This time, Thales was utterly dumbfounded. 'Has many uses?'
Thales stared at the ring in a daze. A horrifying thought crept into his mind. As expected, what King Nuven said next sent a chill down his spine.
"The ring can conceal within it three different types of poisonous foam, two different types of gas, and even a poisonous needle.
'Conceal… a poisonous needle?'
Listening to the old king's words, Thales almost forgot to breathe. But King Nuven continued to speak.
"Let's say, when two people in a duel are locked in a stalemate…"
Thales trembled violently.
"... slowly rotate the gear, and 'Triumph' can release the prepared poisonous gas, Seer Grass, at close range." At this moment, King Nuven's gaze turned very cold. His tone was also extremely terrifying.
"It is very expensive to extract and purify, but it can unknowingly anaesthetize the victim's muscles and consciousness. This type of poison will spread to your blood under rigorous exercise. The victim will experience a lack of energy and numbness in the muscles, in addition to feeling increasingly violent and restless."
'Decreased energy. Numbed muscles. Violent and restless...' The second prince was dumbstruck. He turned and stared at King Nuven in disbelief. King Nuven also turned his head to stare at Thales.
Then, the old king confirmed Thales' frightful guess with a suspicious smile.
"Why so surprised?"
The Common-Elected King of Eckstedt, the most esteemed ruler among the Northlanders, Nuven Walton the Seventh, stared at Thales with a profound gaze. "Did you really think that an old man who is almost seventy years old… could easily defeat a man in his prime, at the peak of physical reaction, strength and speed, and whom received Northland Martial Arts training all year long?"
Thales stared at King Nuven in shock and the king cast him a meaningful smile.
Thales' thoughts were a mess. He replayed every scene during the recent duel in his mind and captured the fragments that best matched the description.
Poffret's heavy panting. How he could not aim accurately with his axe most of the time. And how hysteric the young archduke was at the end.
'It can't be?' Thales did not know what expression he should be wearing right now, nor did he know what expression he had on. He could only gaze at King Nuven closely.
"Did I forget to tell you? The nickname of the founder of the Final Empire, Kessel the Sixth was…"
King Nuven smiled, his expression mysterious. He softly uttered three words.
"'The Emperor of Poison'."
Chapter 155: A Bargaining Chip You Cannot Refuse |
Thales stared at the black ring with an unpleasant expression—the Emperor of Poison's 'Triumph'. He did not know what to feel about this.
'That battle filled with so many changes with a twist at the end, and which could be said to be the battle that affects the fate of two countries actually...'
A few seconds later, he said with some difficulty, "So… is this how you…'triumphed' in the duel?"
King Nuven smiled slightly, his eyes showing a hint of sly pleasure.
"You're right. After all, it concerns such a large kingdom. What if there was an accident?" He repeated what Thales had said a while ago.
Thales' mind was a mess.
The elderly yet heroic and brave image of Nuven the Seventh that Thales had in his heart from the duel just now…
...was completely shattered.
It was replaced by the image of a shrewd and crafty old king, rotating his ring beneath the long table.
King Nuven said meaningfully, "Remember, young Thales, a king must never be hot-headed and replace rationality with impulse. You must not take gambles that you are not confident of winning just for the satisfaction of it. You are not only yourself, but also your entire kingdom."
Thales paid no heed to Nuven's words; at this moment, his mind spun rapidly. Thales only managed to recover from the shock after quite a while. He tried his best to grasp some clues from his chaotic thoughts.
Based on his understanding of Northland, the moment this secret is leaked, King Nuven would become a target of millions of people's rebukes.
It would be enough to destroy the Walton Family's reputation, end the rule of Dragon Clouds City, and even jeopardize the dignity of Eckstedt and the Northlanders.
'But…' Thales turned his head and looked at King Nuven who did not say anything and wore a complicated expression. He said in an unconvinced manner, "Why are you telling me this?"
'Isn't this a secret that should be kept away forever and taken to the grave?'
"Do you know how serious this secret is?" Thales felt his heartbeat speed up and unknowingly clenched his fists softly.
However, King Nuven only watched Thales calmly and flashed a pleasant smile. He did not show the type of solemnity and unease one does when someone else finds out about their weakness.
"Of course." King Nuven chuckled softly and nonchalantly said, "This is most shameful to the way of the Northlanders. It is also disrespectful to the Gods and contemptuous to the archdukes.
"Even the lowliest Northlander would despise their once beloved king for this. Once a new king is crowned, he can even take this as a reason to banish the Walton Family from the ranks of the archdukes forever."
Once he finished talking, King Nuven narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Thales with a profound expression.
"However, you now know this secret, don't you?" the king said in a playful tone.
Thales frowned. He felt increasingly puzzled and anxious as he endured King Nuven's gaze.
"Your Majesty, what-what exactly are you trying to do?"
At that moment, Thales felt that the old man in front of him was like a pitch-black, bottomless whirlpool, while he himself was like a small boat in that whirlpool.
A few seconds later...
"This is a show of good faith," the old king said flatly.
"Good faith?" Thales repeated, puzzled.
King Nuven scooped up a goblet of wine and calmly took a gulp.
"I gave you an opportunity." King Nuven's expression was calm and his tone was composed. "With this, you can destroy the Walton Family beyond redemption at any time."
"What do you mean?" Thales felt even more confused.
Right at this moment, King Nuven changed the topic again. "Before this, you seemed to have mentioned to Nicholas that… after you cooperate with me to find out who the culprit is, you want to receive some benefit from me?" King Nuven paid no heed to Thales' expression and he spoke softly.
Thales creased his brow a little and gritted his teeth lightly.
With some difficulty, Thales answered the question with another question. "Is this your so-called benefit?"
"Of course not, how can this qualify as a benefit?" King Nuven could not help but laugh. He said, "This will only make you very anxious, especially since you are still in Dragon Clouds City which is my territory. You will constantly worry about your safety because of this secret."
Thales took a deep breath, his tongue felt dry. He felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles.
"The Dragon Spear Family is never stingy." King Nuven stopped smiling. His words sent a chill down Thales' spine. "So, after seeing it yesterday evening, are you satisfied with your 'reward'?"
Thales' head shot up.
"Yesterday evening?" Thales' brow was deeply furrowed.
"Yes." King Nuven stared at him with a deep look. "Yesterday evening."
Thales' expression changed.
Yesterday evening…
After he exited the Hall of Heroes, he got lost in Heroic Spirit Palace, and then…
And then...
Under Thales' disbelieving gaze, the old king ran his fingers over his ring and said slowly, "Why, did you think that I would let a foreign prince who just arrived… Wander freely without restrictions in my palace?
"And even coincidentally wander into Raikaru's library?" King Nuven glanced at Thales from the corner of his eyes. A bright light flickered in his eyes.
Thales' heart pounded. He stood frozen to his spot.
"Mirk deliberately led you there," King Nuven said calmly.
"So you have met my granddaughter now, Thales."
Then, Thales sat dazedly on the step as the calm and composed King Nuven spoke slowly.
"Your future wife… and queen."
The hall was silent once more. Thales was motionless where he stood. The scene in the library appeared in his mind...
That wilful and unreasonable little princess, Alex Walton, who beat and scolded her servant as she pleased.
But an even more memorable figure appeared afterwards—the unkempt girl with the black-rimmed spectacles, a face full of dust, and who lay face down on the floor reading a book.
'Little Rascal.'
King Nuven said no more. He calmly took another gulp of wine. Thales took an entire minute to straighten out the situation at hand.
Thales' breathing grew rapid and he raised his head. "Why? What is going on? What do you mean?"
King Nuven softly inhaled a breath, then raised his head to look at the fireplace on the other side of the hall. He then looked at the shelf above the fireplace, at the ferocious weapon that was passed down from Raikaru the Hero to the Walton Family.
The Soul Slayer Pike.
"Among all the lies you told Olsius and the other archdukes, at least one was correct." King Nuven's eyes burned with an unknown emotion. He turned his head and fixed his sharp gaze on Thales with a determined expression. "For the continuation of the Walton Family… I must put my stakes on a powerful person, a future king."
Thales' face was pale and he dug his fingernails deeper and deeper into his palms. He suddenly understood something.
King Nuven did not say anything; he was waiting for Thales' response.
After a while, Thales only said quietly, "The Walton Family is facing demise. You want to ensure the continuation of the Dragon Spear Family by uniting it, through marriage, with Constellation's Jadestar Royal Family?
